Stocking and the art of knitting the same



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(No Modell) (LH. YoUNG. STOGKING AND THB ART OF KNITTING THB SAME.

No. 412,056. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

CHARLES H. YOUNG, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR OF TIVO- THIRDS TO IILLIAM ZIOCK, RALPH EMERSON, AND IVILLIAM A. TALCOTT? OF ROOKEORD, ILLINOIS, AND A. P. OLZENDAM, OF MANCHESTER, NEV

HAMPSHIRE.

STOCKING AND THE ART OF KNITTING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,056, dated October 1, 1889. Application led April 6, 1886. Serial No. 198,003. (No specimens.)

To @ZZ whom it 12mg/ concern.:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. YOUNG, of Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented 5 certain new and useful Improvements in Stockings and the Art of Knitting the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to stockings and to the art of knitting the same; and it consists ro in knitting a tubular web for the upper leg portion, narrowing for the lower leg portion by successively dropping a suitable number of stitches on each side of a continuously knit or unbroken row of stitches, knitting the aur 5 kle portion as a tubular web of uniform dimension, knitting a gore or gores in one side of the tube to form the heel, forming the foot and toe portions in any suitable way, and inally uniting the dropped stitches in the zo lower leg portion to each other or to the main web.

The invention also consists in the stocking produced by the practice of the method noted, as will be hereinafter fully described, and subsequently set forth in the claims.

Of the drawings hereto annexed and forniing a part of this specification, Figure 1 repsents in outline a side view of a stocking embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents by 3o conventional lines a rear view of the lower leg portion and fractional parts of the portions above and below the said lower leg portion. Fig. 3 is a view of a piece of fabric of modified structural character', drawn to an 3 5 exaggerated scale, showing loops or stitches forming certain wales as dropped, the knitting of such wales discontinued and the tubular web narrowed to that extent. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the dropped 4o loops or stitches as caught up and looped or connected with other loops of the fabric.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts and features in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention (having ref 45 erence to Figs. 1 and 2) I begin at the top a of the stocking, which I knit as a tube of uniform diameter, usually in plain stitch, though, if desired, it may be ribbed, or of a stitch of any other form or character. The knitting of aregulartube in this manner is continued 5o down to the point b, where I commence narrowing by dropping stitches in the successive courses or in every second, third, or fourth course, as indicated in Fig. 2 at 1, 2, 8, 4, 5, 6,and 7, or in anyother orderdesired, on each 55 side of an unbroken or continuously-knit course c, thus gradually diminishing the size of the tube for the lower leg portion of the stocking down to-a point d, or to the upper part of what may be termed the ankle por- 6o tion of the stocking, which last-mentioned portion is knit as a tube of uniform dimensions down to where it is proposed to begin the knitting of the heel, which is produced by first knitting a gore, commencing at the point 65 e., knitting a course (indicated by dotted lines) 0f a few stitches and joining the ends of such short course to the course indicated by the line f, then knitting another course of greater length, joining the endsthereof to thev course 7o f, as before, and so on until the line h g is reached, when I preferably knit two full courses around the web at the point h fi. Ithen begin at the point 7iy to form another gore, as before, knitting to the pointy' f, when I corn- 75 mence knitting a tube of regular dimension for the formation of the foot portion, which is continued down to the point 7c l, when I form the toe by knitting into the tube one, two, or more gores, as in forming the heel, 8o or by knitting into the tube'fwhat is commonly known to knitting artisans as a hemispherical toe or toe-pouch;7 uniting the edges of the web by the usual crocheting process; or the toe may be formed in any other suitable S5 or known manner. The stitches 1 to 7, inclusive, Fig. 2, dropped on each side of the unbroken line c are there caught up and looped together either along the unbroken line of stitches c, or across the same, or to the 9o body of the web, as may be deemed desirable.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a piece of fabric of slightlyqnodiiied structural character'from that designed to be represented by the conventional lines iu Figs. 1 and 2, the dropped loops 95 or stitches, designated by fr in said Fig. .3,be-

ing on each side of the unbroken wale or line c in everyalternate course.

By way of illustrating one way in which the dropped loops or stitches may be caught up and united to other stitches of the web, I have shown in Fig. 4 the dropped loops or stitches r as looped or united together-that is,a dropped loop r is drawn through the next adjacent dropped loop and the latter loop is drawn through the dropped loop next adjacent to it, and so on. It will be understood, of course, that Fig. l illustrates a tinished fabric having the structural characten istics portrayed in Fig. 3, though it is obvious that a fabric of the structure portrayed by the diagram, Fig. 2, may be finished in substantially the same manner. By this process I am enabled to produce a properlyshaped seamless stocking without eyeletholes, which are usually formed at the narrowing-point, securing perfect smoothness and evenness of the fabric throughout, with a heel as full and deep as may be desired, thus securing, also, a perfectly-fitting stocklng.

As a machine equipped with means for carrying out my process, reference may be made to that shown and described in an application filed of even date herewith, though any machine or means adapted to the purpose may be employed. For example, such machine as is shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 311,357, dated J anuary 27, 1885, may be used.

In some instances I may dispense with the unbroken line of stitches c and simply drop thestitches from the ends of the converging lines, and subsequently unite such dropped stitches, as will be f readily understood by knitting artisans.

In another application for a patent, tiled by me of even date herewith, Serial No. 198,004, I have shown,- described, and claimed a mode of narrowing tubular-knit fabrics which is utilized by me in my present invention. I do' not, therefore, in my present application broadly claim the mere method or process of shaping or narrowing a tubular web or fabric.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The improvement in the art of knitting stockings, which consists in knitting a tube for the upper leg portion inanysuitable manner, then narrowing for the lower leg portion by dropping stitches in any desired order, then forming the ankle, heel, foot, and toe portions in any suitable manner, and finally uniting the dropped stitches to other stitches of the web, as set forth.

2. The improvement in the art of knitting stockings, which consists in knitting a tube for the upper leg portion in any suitable manner, then narrowing for the lower leg portion by dropping stitches in any desired order on each side of an unbroken or uninterrupted course of stitches, then forming the ankle, heel, foot, and toe portions in any suitable manner, and finally uniting the dropped stitches to other stitches of the web, as set forth.

3. The improvement in the art of knitting stockings, which consists in knitting a tube for the upper leg portion in any suitable mannerthen narrowing for the lower leg portion by dropping stitches in any desired order on each side of an unbroken or uninterrupted course of stitches, then forming the ankle portion in any desired manner, then forming the heel by knitting intothe tube any suitable number of gores of any desired width and depth, then knitting t-he foot and toe portions in any known way, and finally uniting the dropped stitches to other stitches of the web, as set forth.

4. As an article of manufacture,a stocking having the upper leg and ankle portions formed tubular in any suitable manner, the

. lower leg portion being narrowed or shaped to tit the leg of the wearer, there beingin said narrowed or lower leg portion an unbroken line of stitches with dropped stitches on both sides thereof united to other stitches of the web, the heel being formed by any suitable number of gores knit integral with the main web and of any desired depth and width, and the foot and toe portions formed in any suitable manner, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the'presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 23d day of March, 1886.

(ll-IAS. I-l. YOUNG.

lVitnesses:

S. N. BELL, J. F. BRIGGS.

IOO 

